Beauty, Love, Trust
by Kage3
Summary: Based upon a Greek myth. See if you can figure out which one. Pairing is Rufus and Tifa. Hehe. Please read and review.
1. Not Your Average Girl

A/n: Ok guys, I'm gonna start a new fic. Yay! Anywhoo, I am adapting a Greek myth to FF7 characters. See if you can guess which one. By the way, this is a RufusxTifa pairing. Please read and review! Disclaimer: Neither FF7 nor Greek Mythology belongs to me. But I love 'em both. They're both fun! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
NARRATOR: Not so long ago, a love story took place right here in Midgar. But it started in Nibelheim.  
Tifa: "Just leave me alone!!" the young woman of about twenty yells to the line of boys below. "Quit bringing me stuff! I don't like all this attention!"  
  
NARRATOR: Ok, so it didn't start out a love story. In fact, our leading lady was quite depressed. It seemed that the men in town came only to worship her, not to woo her.  
  
Crowd: "But Ms. Lockheart! We only wish to look upon your beautiful face." The line turns into a crowd.  
  
NARRATOR: She found this a little weird.  
  
Tifa: rolls her eyes. "Riiight." she thinks. "Guys. You're freaking me out. Leave me alone! What are you, zombies?" She shakes her head and closes the window, hearing a loud "awww" from the crowd. This had gone on long enough. "That does it! I'm moving to Midgar."  
  
NARRATOR: Join Tifa as she finds herself and her sense of trust in: Beauty, Love, and Trust.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Finally settled into her new home, a bar with an apartment built into it, Tifa sighed. She poured herself a tall glass of milk and plopped onto the couch. "I wonder how my sisters are." She thought aloud. Both of her sisters were married and lived in different parts of Midgar. Aerith (A/n: Yes, I am going to use Aerith!) was married to a family friend, Cloud Strife. Theirs was a happier marriage than their younger sister, Yuffie, (A/n: Yes! And Yuffie too!) who had eloped with a boy from Kalm. But stubborn as Yuffie was, she was going to grin and bear it, not going to admit defeat and look bad to her sisters.  
In Tifa's case, it was more like men flocked to her for her looks, not her personality. Moreover, they didn't ask her out, they stood and stared. It was more than frustrating.  
She heard the bell in the front and got up to see who it could be. "Can I help you?" she asked the tall young man.  
He looked down at her from his higher viewpoint. "Whoa! Yes ma'am. Uh, I was just checking out who owns this bar now, it was my favorite before it closed down. May I ask your name?"  
  
She rolled her eyes mentally. "Here we go again," she thought. "The name's Tifa. I own this bar now. Who are you?"  
  
"I'm Reno. You must be new to the city. From Kalm?"  
  
She quirked an eyebrow at the redhead. "How'd you know?"  
  
He pointed to the boxes behind her. "They're labeled from Kalm." A PHS ring broke the awkward silence. "Yes? Oh, sir, hello. Yes, I was on a lunch-Oh, yes sir. Actually I was greeting a new young woman to the city. Oh definitely sir. Very. Of course, sir. Right away. Thank you, Mr. President." He hung up. "Miss. Tifa you said? President ShinRa would like to welcome you to Midgar personally. He's invited you to a dinner at the HQ in the middle of the city. Would you accept?"  
  
Tifa's eyes widened. "Uh... Well I don't know. I don't know this guy or his reputation, and--"  
  
Reno cleared his throat. "It's only dinner, Miss Tifa." Inside, he was mentally kicking himself for even mentioning her to the President, everyone *knew* his reputation, of course. Unfortunately the President was now expecting her, and if Reno couldn't get this new girl over to dinner, heads would roll. "Please accept." Not only was he surprised at himself for telling his boss about her, he was also surprised about how polite he was being. Normally he wouldn't care what people thought. But being around this woman made him act more proper. Unconsciously he straightened his wrinkled tie.  
  
For Tifa, warning bells were going off the entire time in her head. "With this guy being so polite, I'd hate to turn him down. But it doesn't feel right. Oh well. If this doesn't go well I can always put my martial arts to good use. I could use a good workout." She thought, sighing. "Sure. By the way, just call me Tifa. I hate formal titles."  
  
Reno smiled half-heartedly. "Thank you ma'am-- I mean, Tifa. I'll be back to pick you up around seven o'clock." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"WHAT DO I WEAR?!" Tifa was freaking out. Should she go formal, or casual? She also didn't ask if this president was young or old. "Good Lord, what was I thinking?"  
  
An hour later, about six o'clock, Tifa decided on a skirt that came to her knees, and a silky sleeveless white blouse. She put on her high heels and put on some matching jewelry. All that was left was hair and make-up. (A/n: And guys wonder why it takes us so long. Do you WANT us to look like crap?! J/k. I know a lot of people who can just wake up beautiful.)  
  
At seven o'clock Tifa sat on her couch. "Whew. Now, where is that guy Reno?"  
  
At seven thirty, Tifa was just about to fall asleep when she heard knocking on the door. Getting up, she looked at her watch. "He's late." She opened the door. Two men were standing there, one she recognized as Reno, the other looked wutain, was shorter and had long black hair and dark eyes.  
  
"Sorry about our tardiness, ma'am. We wouldn't have gotten here at all if I hadn't of accompanied Reno. My name is Tseng. And may I be the first to say you look marvelous." The dark headed man took her hand and kissed it.  
  
Reno stared at Tseng. He *definitely* was never this nice. "I wasn't going to be the one to send Tifa off to her doom. I was going to take the limo around the city a few times, ride back, and then say that she got sick or wasn't home, or make up some other reason for her not to come. Then Mr. High-an'-Mighty comes along to make sure I get the job done. Yeah right. He just wanted to see this chick himself. I don't know what Elena sees in this guy."  
  
Tifa drew back her hand politely yet warily. "Thanks. So are we going?"  
  
Reno cleared his throat. "This way, Tifa." He helped her into the limo, and then spotted Tseng about to get in with her. "Sir, I'd really feel better if you rode up front with me. I think the President would feel better also." Reno's guilt was what kept Tifa safe that night. Normally he wouldn't care, and would even pay money to see Tseng get chewed out. There was just something about this girl that made him feel like something good was bound to happen if she stayed safe.  
  
Tseng glared at Reno. "Why that little... Who does he think he is, talking to his superior like that? But he is right, if the President sees me get out of the back, I might get a salary deduction for flirting with his dinner guest. Fine, you win this round, Reno."  
  
Tifa felt very alone in the spacious back seat of the limo. The ride was a bit longer than she expected. That knot in her stomach was tightening too, she felt like she was being driven toward impending doom. Yet her optimism kept her from having a nervous breakdown right there in the car. "Something good is bound to happen from this, I know it."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"This way, Tifa." Reno led her to the dining hall of the HQ. Mainly this area was used for high society parties. The room was huge. There were 3 long tables in the middle of the room. The only one decorated was the shortest one in the middle. "Here." He pulled out the chair on the end. "Sit here and the President will be with you shortly."  
  
When Reno started to leave, Tifa began to feel vulnerable. He had been protecting her, and she knew it. She could tell that he felt guilty for something, and for some reason, she believed it to be that he had even mentioned her to his boss. "Hey! Where are you going?"  
  
He looked back at her. "I'm not staying. I can't. But I might be able to get a reinforcement. Good luck, Teef." He walked from the room, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, kid." He said under his breath.  
  
She watched him go. "Reinforcement?" All hope left with Reno. Tifa sighed and waited.  
  
Soon after Reno left, doors on the opposite side of the hall opened, and in walked a huge man, fat from years of sitting behind a desk. He was balding, a wreath of what used to be blonde hair covered the sides and back of his head, leaving the bare shiny scalp in the middle without cover. He smoked a large wutain cigar, and when he smiled, he revealed his yellowing tobacco stained teeth. He had little squinty eyes that darted back and forth; you couldn't even tell what color they were. He strode over to Tifa who stood up, half in horror, wanting to run, the other half out of polite manner. "Good evening Miss...?"  
  
"Lockheart." She was completely repulsed by his appearance. "And you are?"  
  
The man held out his fat hand to shake. "I am President Ivan E. ShinRa. Welcome to Midgar. I hope you find the city to be what you've been looking for. Sit down and we'll begin our meal."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Forty-five minutes later, Tifa was bored out of her mind. All this man did was talk about himself and what he'd done in his lifetime. They were on dessert now; soon the dinner would be over. "Thank God." She thought. The President's conversation was beginning to turn sexual. She was getting nervous. "Hey, where's that 'reinforcement'?"  
  
As if on cue, the doors opened and in walked in a young man of about twenty-two. He was tall, muscular framed, and he had blonde silky looking hair, slicked back, a few strands falling into his eyes. And oh, what beautiful sapphire eyes they were, intimidating as they were inviting. "Father I need to discuss... Oh. I didn't know you were having dinner with a... guest." Those gorgeous eyes fell on Tifa, who was frozen to the spot.  
  
"Ah, Rufus. Son, this is Miss Tifa Lockheart. She's new to the city. I was showing her good Midgar hospitality." The fat old President chuckled. Meaning of course that he was lulling her into a false sense of security and was going to seduce her after dessert.  
  
"Or at least try." The President's son thought. He knew his father all too well. "Doesn't bode well for that Lockheart girl though. It's demeaning enough just being with the old man. And if she turns him down flat, he'll sabotage everything she's lived for. I've seen it many times before. Oh well, not my problem." He thought as he shook his head. "Sorry to bother you two. I'll be in my office." As he turned to leave, his icy eyes fell on Tifa once more, this time he paid attention. What caught his eye the most was her innocent charm. She looked helpless. And hopeless for that matter. She looked like she knew what was going to happen. Her cherry eyes glanced at him for a moment, they pleaded for refuge from the man he called father. Rufus shook his head again and walked from the room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: So, what do you think? Should I continue this thing? Or should I bring it to a screeching halt? I need your input, so *PLEASE* review for me! Hope you guys had a great new year's eve! Happy New Year everyone! 


	2. Dinner Gone Bad

A/n: Hey guys, here again for the second chapter. You know what really, really, *REALLY* gets on my nerves? When I have typed a long, painfully detailed chapter, saved it to a disk, and when I come back to upload it, it won't open! Yeah, that happened to this chapter, which really kinda got me peeved. I was so happy with it too! I seriously was about to cry. So I'm going to try again and make it better, it was obviously a sign that there was something I should change. I don't know what yet, but when I get there, I will.  
  
Disclaimer: FF7 is *not* mine, Greek Mythology is *not* mine. The idea for this fic *is* mine. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Her cherry eyes followed the handsome Vice President, wondering how something so good looking could be born from anything looking like President ShinRa. When he had looked back at her the second time, her eyes got trapped in those icy blue pools that had entranced her the first time. "Jerk" She whispered after he disappeared through the door.  
  
"I'm sorry?" The fat old president asked her to repeat.  
  
"Oh nothing, I was just griping about work. Speaking of which, I need to get back, I'm bound to have customers waiting for me to open." She crossed her fingers, praying he'd understand.  
  
"Ah, but Miss Tifa, I know exactly how you feel. I know how it is to be stressed. I *do* run the city, after all. Which is why I'd like to invite you to stay the night. I've really enjoyed your company tonight, and I'd like to continue our conversation in my chamber." He grinned slyly, and that combined with his squinting eyes made him look positively evil and disgusting.  
  
"No thank you. I really should be getting home now; I need to call my sisters, 'cause they'll be worried about me. It's been. interesting." She searched for a word, because it truly hadn't been fun.  
  
"Tifa, I insist you stay. It wouldn't be. healthy. for you to leave right now." President ShinRa was beginning to look pissed. Obviously he wasn't turned down very often.  
  
"Look sir, I honestly don't like the way this conversation is going, and I do *not* want to go to your room to finish a discussion that *you* were having. So, if you'll excuse me, I have to be getting home." She looked at him defiantly.  
  
The president shook his head. "Tifa, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." He pressed a button under the table. "You see, I am used to getting my way, and when someone does not comply with my wishes, I have force them to do my will. It's actually quite more interesting when they *are* forced."  
  
Good lord, the man was planning to rape her.  
  
Two guards stormed into the room, and immediately grabbed Tifa roughly.  
  
"Take her to my quarters. Unless you would like to rethink your position on the matter?"  
  
She merely grinned at him, the grip that these guards had was feeble, as if they feared she'd break. "I bet you think I'm some damsel in distress, huh? I must be just another weak woman you can force yourself on and throw away the next day. Well, you can just go screw yourself tonight, 'cause I am *not* staying here one more minute." After that, she yanked her arm from the fragile grip and used it to slug one guard in the face; when he let go to grasp at his broken nose, she kicked the other guard with her heeled shoe, causing him to double over in pain.  
  
President ShinRa looked at her with half fear, half anger. "You."  
  
Tifa stared back and shook her head. "Maybe next time you'll listen when someone tells you 'no'." She sprinted from the room, kicking her heels off in different directions as she did so. Not once did she look back.  
  
The defeated president looked at his defeated guards. "You two are fired! That woman should not have been able to overpower two of ShinRa's guards." He pressed a button on his watch. "Rufus, come to the dining hall quickly son, it's an emergency. I have a mission for you."  
  
Rufus, who had just reached his office, rolled his eyes when he received his father's message. He walked from the room, almost getting run over by a swift-footed young woman quickly making her way to the elevator. As she ran by, his eyes caught hers for the second she was parallel to him. It was the same woman he'd left with his father. Amazed she'd gotten that far, he continued carelessly to the dining hall.  
  
The sight he witnessed surprised him and he tried to stifle a chuckle. "What the hell happened here?" He questioned upon seeing two armed guards doubled over in pain.  
  
His father looked pissed. "That woman. She is a menace. I need you to track her down. She has humiliated me and humiliated the ShinRa armed guard! I want her terminated. Do you understand? The Turks will be out on an assignment; besides, Reno has developed a friendly attitude with her, Tseng wants her for himself, Rude will probably develop a crush, and Elena is just to ditzy to trust the errand of killing Lockheart. I cannot trust anyone else with this duty."  
  
Shaking his head, Rufus accepted. "Sure, I'll handle your light work. She's just a woman. Your guards were just being too gentle. But I'll accept anyway. Anything to get me out of this damn office." Without staying to hear his father's complaint of his sarcasm, he turned quickly on his heel and out the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Finally in Sector 7, Tifa gave a sigh of relief when she saw her home, appearing in the distance. Her feet were beginning to ache from running on the hard rocky ground with her bare feet. She walked now, not sure if anyone was following her. They'd be smart not to. She was still on the adrenaline rush from her run, and she wouldn't turn down a fight.  
  
Once inside, she fixed herself a drink, called her sisters to inform them of her adventure, and started her shower. Aerith, ever worried about her unmarried sister, was nearly in tears when she heard the story. Yuffie, on the other hand, asked her how many guys she took out. Both of them asked if she needed a place to stay for the night, just to be safe, but Tifa politely turned them down. "I wouldn't wanna put you guys in danger, too." She joked.  
  
"Tifa, you really need to find yourself a husband. Someone to keep you safe." Aerith was still very worried.  
  
"Aerith, I can't just go up to some random good, moral looking, hot rich guy and say 'Hey, why don't you an' I get married?' It takes time. And I just haven't found Mr. Right. Look, I gotta go; I'm wasting my hot water. I'll call you tomorrow."  
  
Once in the shower, she let the water engulf her. All the stress she had was washed away in half and hour. Once she was done, she finished her drink, washed the glass, dressed in her nightclothes and lay down in her bed. It felt as though someone was watching her as she got comfortable; but she soon was too drowsy to care.  
  
She soon started to dream; she was in a rich looking room that had fancy knick-knacks on shelves; it reminded her of the ShinRa HQ she had just left. A figure of a man had just laid her on a bed that was in the room. Frightened, she whispered, "Where am I?"  
  
The figure, which was hazy so she couldn't recognize the man, spoke in a voice Tifa could not quite identify, but had heard before. "You'll be safe here. Don't worry I won't harm you. Shh. Go back to sleep."  
  
"Sleep? I am asleep!" She protested and demanded an answer. But the figure did not answer; he started to disappear. "Wait!"  
  
Tifa awoke with a start, arm in the air, saying "Wait!" She shook her head at the crazy dream and groggily got up from the bed. "I need some water." Blindly, she made her way to the door. She nearly knew this house by memory now. But when she started through where she thought the door was, she ended up walking into a table. In pain, she rubbed her shin where she was already beginning to bruise.  
  
Wait. There *was* no table in the room.  
  
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" She screamed. She opened her eyes fully to take in her surroundings.  
  
She was in a room identical to the one in her dream. As she was looking around, desperately trying to find a clue to where she was, she heard a knock on the door. Fearful, she steadied herself and whispered, "Come in."  
  
A cheerful looking middle-aged man opened the door slowly. "I see you are awake ma'am."  
  
"Uh, where am I?" She asked, fear dripping in her voice.  
  
"You are in Costa del Sol, ma'am. The master has told us to give you anything you might need ma'am. I realize you must be frightened. The master told us what danger you were in and carried you into this room to let you rest. Someone had put a sedative into a drink that you had last night. I'm surprised that you are up as early as you are. There are clothes in the closet; if you don't care for them, or they don't fit, please tell me and I will have someone take you to the nearest clothing department. As I said, the master told us to give you anything you wish. Do you want some breakfast ma'am?"  
  
Tifa, totally confused, nodded slowly. "Can I get some toast and eggs? And some *very* strong coffee."  
  
"Very well ma'am. I will be up with it soon, and then I will answer any questions you might have to the best of my knowledge."  
  
Tifa nodded, still confused. She had *plenty* of questions.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Whew, done. I finally got this finished. Please give me any critiquing. I'm a big girl and can handle constructive criticism. In fact, I love it! Thanks guys, please review!  
  
~Kage 


	3. Questions Unanswered

A/n: Hey guys, back again after, yes I know, *another* long break. But hey, as long as I getting them up, right? Hey, thanks to all the people that have reviewed!! I love reviews as much as I like writing fics, even if they do tell me that I have problems with the storyline or grammar. Keep up the reviews, for my sanity's sake! Peace and love, *especially* love, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: No, FF7 not mine, Greek Mythology not mine, but the idea, yes, IS MINE!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Getting a second glance at her surroundings, Tifa was overwhelmed with questions. She looked back at the bed she had been sleeping in. "I guess it wasn't a dream after all. Who the heck brought me here?" She sat down and was surprised at how soft the bed was. There was a down comforter, satin sheets, and big fluffy pillows. She instantly felt the longing to go back to bed, due to the still ever-present sedative.  
  
Still in her pj's, she walked to the closet the butler had pointed out to her. There were only a few choices that she would wear willingly, the others were just to fancy for her tastes. She carefully chose a black tank top and a white button up shirt that fit her slender waist, and comfortably hugged her curves. The jeans she picked up were a just a bit snug, but not enough to hinder necessary movement. Looking for shoes, Tifa was surprised to find that her own boots had been included with the collection.  
  
Soon after she was dressed, she began to brush her long mahogany hair while she waited for the butler to come back with her meal. And some answers.  
  
Another knock soon interrupted Tifa from her wandering thoughts. "Come in"  
  
"Yes ma'am, your food is here. I hope you find it tasty, Ms. Lockheart." The butler smiled at her. "I do believe you had some questions for me? Or would you like to wait until after you eat?"  
  
"No, no I'd like to find out some things right now. Um, ok. First off, who are you, and why am I here?" She asked as she began to dig into her eggs.  
  
He smiled at her with twinkling gray eyes. "My name is William Cunningham. I run the residence when the master is away. The maids will be in here shortly to make the bed, by the way, so if you want to go out into Costa del Sol and shop, by all means, do so. As for your second question, the master had you brought here to bring you out of danger. Of what danger I am not sure, but I am sure that you will be safe and comfortable during your stay. I had hoped that you might have the information concerning the threat, but I guess you know as much as I do on that."  
  
She looked down at her half empty plate. "I'm thinking that the threat is President ShinRa. But who would know about that?" Tifa thought. "Okaayy, so, who is this 'master' of yours?" This question was what bugged her the most. Was it someone she knew?  
  
"Ah, ma'am it is that information that I cannot release. He specifically mentioned that his identity would be kept a secret. I apologize for that inconvenience."  
  
Moving on to her coffee, Tifa shook her head. "You mean to tell me that I'm being kept in a house belonging to some rich stranger? Sounds like something out of a storybook to me. Is he at least good looking?" She asked with all honesty and innocence.  
  
Laughing as though he hadn't heard a funny joke in ages, Mr. Cunningham tried to gain composure. "I assure you madam, he is a rather good-looking young man. Maybe he *is* looking for romance. Ms. Lockheart I'm afraid your humor has made me feel young again. The master of the house *does* have a sense of humor, but it is rare that we see him, and when he does come to this residence, it is late at night. It is quite hard to find amusement around this house. I thank you for making me laugh. Now, here is 500 gil, go out and find yourself some clothing that you like."  
  
Tifa gasped when he handed her that much money, but he wouldn't take it back. When Mr. Cunningham had left, she tried to finish her coffee. "Okay, what I said wasn't *that* funny. The poor guy must rarely get out. And 500 gil? I'm not buying that much clothes." Scratching her head, headed out the bedroom, door wondering where the front door was.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Have you found her yet?" An enraged President ShinRa stormed into Rufus' office, crossing his arms impatiently.  
  
Sighing with a hint of shame, the Vice President shook his head. "No, father, I haven't. I searched her house personally last night. It looked like she'd been abducted. There were traces of a sedative in a drink left on the bar. I almost positive it was hers, it had the same lipstick shade she was wearing last night on it."  
  
His father snorted. "Perceptive, Rufus. I had no idea you had checked her out that closely."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Rufus continued. "Her house had also been raided. Some clothes had been taken, and some personals from the bathroom. Someone is taking her on a vacation. And they got to her before I did. It's highly unlikely that she's even in Midgar anymore. Are you sure you want to go through all this trouble? She's probably done for anyway, anyone who had to knock her out with a sedative before taking her *can't* have good intentions."  
  
The president shook his head. "No. Find her. I will accept no less from you. If you find her, I want proof. If you kill her, I want evidence, but for God's sake, do it quietly."  
  
Rufus sighed and walked out of the room. "Why the hell does he want her dead anyway? She just knocked out his guards. Its not like she hit him or anything. Although, that *would* have been rather amusing." He thought to himself, chuckling. He looked at his watch. It was only nine in the morning. And his stomach was growling. "I wonder what's cooking in the kitchen..."  
  
When he reached his destination, he saw Reno already attacking the sausage and egg taquitos, leaving none for the vice president. Giving Reno a death- glare (and a mental pout), Rufus settled for a glazed donut and some coffee.  
  
Reno, with a full mouth, tried to apologize about totally inhaling Rufus' favorite breakfast meal. "Ish jusht rare that yoo eat breakfasht. *Gulp* So I figured, 'Hell yeah, taquitos!' Oh, uh, by the way. How is the search going? Have you found her yet?"  
  
Breaking out of his death-glare, Rufus quirked an eyebrow. "No. Why? Do you know something about it? Or are you worried? That's one emotion Turks shouldn't feel. So where is she, Reno? Where'd you hide her?"  
  
His redheaded friend shook his head. "I didn't take her anywhere. I just think it's a little harsh to *kill* her, ya know? She didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"Yeah well, you know my dad."  
  
His friend gave a devious grin. "I think you got the hots for this girl, Ruf. Heh, and what's not to like: beautiful face, great curves, mysterious eyes, *and* a gorgeous smile? Admit it, you know she's your type."  
  
Rufus glared at his friend again. "She's pretty, but that can't stop me from my job. And you know it. If I spared her, dad would be furious. People would be reading in tomorrow's papers: 'Vice President dies suddenly and tragically in fatal helicopter crash.'" Upon finishing his donut, Rufus closed his eyes and dusted the sugar crumbs off his fingers. "Besides, I barely know her. I saw her twice. And I don't exactly believe in love at first shove. I owe her, she nearly knocked me over backwards trying to escape."  
  
Reno snorted and shook his head. "Well what would you have done if you were in her shoes?"  
  
Grinning, Rufus retorted, "Heh, I don't think size 8 pumps would look that great on me, Reno. But you can try them on if you like, she left them here last night to make a better getaway. Maybe you could give them to Elena as a late anniversary gift..."  
  
Laughing, Reno started to comment. "Hah, that's funny. Our anniversary is..." Thinking about the date, the redhead's eyes widened. "Aw, shit. How the hell did you remember that, Ruf?"  
  
"Elena has only been prancing around for the last week singing, 'I wonder what he's gonna get me on our anniversary on Thursday?' So Reno, what *did* you get her?" Rufus asked evilly, every tooth showing in the huge grin he had on his face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Happy with her purchases, Tifa made her way to the nearest café. She'd bought a few clothes that she liked, and a swimsuit since hers wasn't taken from her home. Heck, she was in Costa del Sol, and there wasn't anything to keep her from swimming and tanning. There were still questions on her mind, and she just couldn't stop herself from asking about the Villa she was staying in.  
  
One man told her that even the people native to the seaport town hadn't ever seen the owner of the large house. They assumed it was an older gentleman, that he came only during certain nights, and he never stayed long. Others said that they'd seen him at a distance, never a case where he was seen up close. He was like a hermit that never came out during the day. It seemed no one in the town had ever made contact with him.  
  
Exhausted from walking most of the day, she lugged her bags toward the stairs. Immediately, two teenagers took the bags away from her gently and carried them up the stairs to her room. Not getting any time to protest, Tifa shook her head and followed them.  
  
They smiled at her when she came into the room and asked her politely if she needed any help putting the clothes away.  
  
"No thanks boys, but I do thank you for carrying these up for me. Say, you don't happen to have any info on the guy that owns this house, do you?" She asked, innocently.  
  
Both grinned at her question. They knew she'd been informed of the master keeping his identity a secret. "Sorry ma'am, but we can't tell you. You know the rules."  
  
Shaking her head, she gave up. "All right already. So, what do you do for fun around here when you're not working?"  
  
Without missing a beat, both the boys answered, "Surfing!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Yeah, surfing! Never done it myself, but I'd love to try. Anyways, again, I beg of you, please review! I need critiquing! Thanks you guys, and have a great Valentines Day! XOXOXO's to all!  
  
~Kage 


	4. X

A/n: Wow, almost a month since my last update. Sorry guys, I've been working on my other fic, 'Ice'. It's up to 13 or 14 chapters of RufusxTifa goodness!! Anywhoo, please read and review!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill... FF7/Greek stuff, not mine, duh. Idea for story *is* mine.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was finally getting late in Costa del Sol, the sun was hovering just above the ocean, the sky full of color, all reflected in the water. It looked like a painting. Tifa sat on the beach, watching the sunset after an afternoon of surfing. It had definitely cleared her mind. This was beginning to feel like a vacation, and it was just what she needed.  
  
When the sun had finally set, she started back to the villa. That one question still pervaded her mind. Who had brought her here? She sighed. "Ah, that's not important right now. I need to plan on what I'm going to do for the rest of the time I'm staying here." She thought, and instantly she saw the Golden Saucer peek over the mountains and hills of the island. It was brightly lit and hard to miss. "Oooooh."  
  
She strode into the villa; smile big on her face, but it was an unsatisfied smile. Paradise was beautiful, but she wanted to share it with someone. She wondered if she was allowed to contact her sisters, just to let them know she was doing all right.  
  
Mr. Cunningham soon brought her dinner to the room she was staying in. "Tonight, the cook decided to make his specialty: popcorn shrimp. There is a salad with three saucers of different kinds of dressing, I wasn't sure which you favored. And if you are in the mood for dessert, the cook's assistant has whipped up a lovely cheesecake. I also brought you lemonade. It will work nicely with the shrimp."  
  
Tifa was, by far, shocked that these people would work so hard to please her. She giggled. "Oh, come on, you guys are gonna make me fat. You shouldn't pamper me with all this rich food." She grinned.  
  
Mr. Cunningham shrugged. "We treat all of our guests with the utmost courtesy and yes, we spoil them mercilessly." He smiled at her.  
  
"Uh, Mr. Cunningham? Would I be able to call my sisters? Just to tell them that I'm still alive? I'm sure they're worried about me." She asked cautiously.  
  
He shrugged again. "I'm sorry, I can't answer that for you right now. But I will make it a point to ask the master for you the next time he arrives. Eat up now!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was 3 in the morning. She couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned. Once again it felt as though someone was watching her. She sat up and looked around, gasping at what she saw there.  
  
Two eyes shone in the dim moonlight, only the shadowy profile of a face could be seen. The person hadn't jumped when she suddenly sat up, only continued to watch her.  
  
"What... what are you doing in here? Who are you?" She asked, frightened.  
  
The person merely sat and continued to watch her.  
  
"Am I dreaming again? I've seen you before..." She whispered.  
  
"No, you are not dreaming. I saved your life. If you had stayed at your own home, ShinRa would have destroyed you. It may be a while before you can go home. It's not safe right now. I'm sorry I woke you. Try to go back to sleep. I will be gone again in the morning." The voice was a man's. He got up to leave, but Tifa stopped him.  
  
"Wait... I have some questions. Why can't I know who you are? I mean, how do you expect me to stay in a strange place when I don't even know you? What's with all the secrecy? I do thank you for the pampering... but how did you know I'd be in danger? Why did you save me?" She asked the questions in somewhat rapid succession, and didn't realize that she sounded nervous.  
  
The shadowed man chuckled. "For safety's sake, I cannot reveal who I am to you. It might leak out. As for not knowing me, yes, I agree, but I am attempting to make you as comfortable as possible. I trust that you have no complaints? I knew you'd be in danger because I have resources in the ShinRa building. I saved you because I know what President ShinRa is capable of. Your reputation is too good to be scarred by that rat of a man. Just trust me, Ms. Lockheart. As soon as this blows over, you are free to go, and you'll never have to worry about President ShinRa or who I am again. Now, you need to go back to sleep. And I need to get back to my work. I didn't mean to wake you. I've heard of your beauty..." he chuckled again. "You're quite famous. I had to see for myself again, as I didn't get to when I brought you here. The rumors are true."  
  
She blushed in the darkness. "Flatterer. Oh! One more question. Can I contact my sisters? They probably think I'm dead or something. I don't want them to be worried about me."  
  
Silence followed the question. The man seemed to understand her situation, yet was reluctant because of the danger it could bring. He sighed, breaking down. "One call. Thirty minutes, no more. No information on where you are, just tell them you are all right and safe. Are we clear?"  
  
Tifa nodded. "Uh-huh. Um, one last tiny hitch. What do I call you then, since you refuse to tell me your real name?"  
  
Again, silence. "Call me X for right now. It's a bit ridiculous, but it's required for the time being. Now go to sleep." The deep voice sternly said through the darkness.  
  
Tifa did as told, but kept an eye on the figure as he walked out the door. She could tell he was a young man, but that was all. Something was very familiar, but just out of her reach. "G'night, 'X'." She said quietly.  
  
"Goodnight, Ms. Lockheart."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The next morning at the ShinRa HQ, Rufus yawned and strolled into the kitchen. Glad to see Reno not in sight, he immediately grabbed three taquitos for starters on breakfast and hid the other two.  
  
Not five minutes later, a tired looking Reno nearly crawled into the kitchen. "'Mornin' Ruf. I see you got to the goods before I could. Ah well, the early bird gets the better breakfast..."  
  
Rufus scoffed at Reno's appearance. "What the hell happened to you? You look like you haven't slept in a week. I think you should take the day off."  
  
Reno tried to open an eye. "Oh, and you look like a prince yourself? What'd ya do, stay up all night getting off to Teef's picture?" He laughed a bit harder than needed.  
  
Rufus, disgusted, chomped on his breakfast. "No, more like doing research on where the hell she could possibly be. It's like she damn near dropped off the face of the planet. And since when do you call her 'Teef'? I didn't know you knew her so well." Rufus' own fatigue started to bite through his normally calm exterior. He was starting to get frustrated. "Ok, this is starting to wear my patience."  
  
"Look Ruf, if anyone needs the day off, it's you. You haven't quit searching for that girl. If it were anyone else, you would have given up already! I know ya, Rufus, better than anyone. You would have claimed her killed by that kidnapper. But you don't wanna give up on her." Reno finally managed to stand straight up, back popping in numerous places. "Ow..."  
  
Sighing, Rufus shook his head. "No, my father will literally kill me if I don't get this assignment. I just need time. She's out there. She's alive. I know it. I just need time." He repeated. Finally losing it, he pounded a fist on the counter; everything on the surface jumped an inch into the air and fell over. "Damn it!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The bright sun told Tifa that it was late morning, and that it was time to get up. She yawned and stretched, not surprised to see a tray of breakfast sitting at the foot of the bed. Smiling, she leaned forward to grab the tray and started eating. She remembered her conversation with "X", and was going to call her sisters today. She missed them and knew they were going crazy. Finishing up, she picked up the phone by her bed and dialed her older sister's number.  
  
Aerith answered with a dreary "Hello?"  
  
Tifa brightly smiled and said, "Good morning dear sister of mine! How are you?" She giggled; she had lots to talk about with Aerith.  
  
Aerith's voice suddenly lifted. "Tifa! Oh my God, are you all right? Where are you? What's going on?" She sounded happy to hear Tifa's voice, but still worried.  
  
"I'm fine, Aerith. I can't tell you where I am, because I'm still 'in danger', but I can tell you that I am perfectly all right. I'm being treated like a princess here!" She told her sister about how the household treated their guests.  
  
Aerith gave a sigh of relief. "Well, as long as you're safe. Who are you staying with?"  
  
"I can't tell you that either. I call him 'X' though. But you don't have to worry about me. He's been very polite, along with everyone else in this place. So how have you and Yuffie been holding up?" Tifa queried, taking attention away from her situation. It was hard enough not telling her sister where she was, she didn't want her to ask any more questions. All she could handle right now was listening to her sister's voice.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
That night, she once again couldn't sleep for the feeling of being watched. "You know, if you want to talk to me, you could try coming in daylight, when I'm *not* trying to sleep." She said groggily, sitting up, facing the same shadowed man as before, only this time, he was sitting on the bed.  
  
He chuckled. "Forgive me, but this is the only time I can come to the town. I just want to make sure you are still safe."  
  
"Your butler doesn't keep you up to date on my status?" She asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.  
  
"He does, but I like to make sure on my own."  
  
"Right. I think it just gives you an excuse to come in here and watch me sleep. I think you have a crush on me, X." She chuckled.  
  
"Maybe so." He added quietly.  
  
"So, what have you been doing all day?" Tifa asked him, not exactly ignoring that last comment.  
  
"Uh-uh-uh... You know better." He said, an obvious smile engraved in his words.  
  
"Yeah yeah, top secret stuff, right? I don't think this is fair, you knowing so much about me, and I don't know a thing about *you*. So, can't you just let me in on one little itty-bitty secret about yourself? Please?" She leaned forward.  
  
"Hmm. Let's see. What can I tell you that is not important to your safety? I am 23 years old. Is that a good enough secret?" He glanced at her through the darkness.  
  
"No. I could have guessed that. Come on, you can do better." She teased.  
  
He sighed. "All right." He seemed to be amused at her openness to talk to him. "I've never dated a woman in my life." He whispered, as if anyone else was awake to hear him anyway.  
  
She looked at X's silhouette and half gasped, half held in an outburst of laughter.  
  
Knowing this would amuse her, he looked at her, bemused. "Are you laughing at me, Ms. Lockheart?" His hand hovered over hers.  
  
"No... no. Heh, I just can't imagine you, a debonair rich man, not dating anyone in your whole life? That's impossible. You probably have to beat women off with a stick." She chuckled.  
  
"Something like that, but it's not that I'm inexperienced at women, it's just that I don't have time for them. I work all day; I'd be accused of neglecting my mate. So you see, I'm by myself. Not that I don't get lonely, you see. But to be successful, one must work. " His hand finally lowered onto hers.  
  
Blushing into darkness, she put her other hand on his. "Trust me, I understand. Um, do you want to know something that you don't know about me?" She sat by him on the bed, legs swinging over the floor.  
  
"What's that, Ms. Lockheart?"  
  
"I'm scared. I may look all brave and happy on the outside, but inside, I'm scared about the whole ShinRa thing, and, no offense, but I'm a bit intimidated by you, not knowing who you are and staying in your home. But you seem like a nice guy. And your people treat me like royalty. It's funny, but I don't have as many trust issues as I would think I'd have, you know?"  
  
"You have adapted well, Ms. Lockheart. That did surprise me. But I've told you, I want your stay to be as comfortable as possible." He said.  
  
"I know. Oh, by the way, call me Tifa. I'm not fond of formal titles. I'm very comfortable here, X. But there is one thing. I'm kind of lonely. I mean, your people are great, but I can't joke around and go out with them. After you've been to the shops, the beach, you've pretty much done everything. I'm a bit bored." Subconsciously she leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
X's figure slightly stiffened, as if he wasn't expecting her action. "Yes, I know how you feel. But I'm finishing up some work and I may be able to come around more often, but it will still be at night." He loosened his frame. Her hair had the scent of vanilla; it was soft against his neck.  
  
She chuckled. "We *must* stop meeting like this!" She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, but it must have startled him because he turned his head toward her, her lips landed upon his.  
  
Both jumped back, and looked at each other through an awkward silence. Tifa was the first to break it.  
  
"So... Care to try again?" She had an unseen grin on her face, a giddy schoolgirl feeling she'd never felt before floated in her chest.  
  
"Sure." This time they both leaned into the kiss, her soft lips pressed against his own.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A/n: Woo hoo! Finally done with this friggin chapter. I'm trying to make these a bit longer, as you can see. It's been awhile since I've updated this fic, but my senior year of high school is killing me. I've got senioritis bad. I can't wait to get out of school! Oh, I'm still working on Ice, so check that out if you haven't already. More next time, and please review!  
  
Kage3 


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